The present invention relates to extruded composite building materials, and more particularly to an interlocking corner assembly for sealing corners and joints.
Traditional building construction techniques for frame exterior walls typically utilize siding materials with ends that are substantially aligned at the building corners. Vertically oriented trim boards are often nailed or stapled in abutting contact over the siding ends at the corners to improve the appearance and to reduce the likelihood of wind and water leakage into the structure. Unfortunately, such trim boards are very susceptible to warping and splitting, which detracts from the appearance over time and also allows moisture to enter the junction between adjacent walls, contributing to leakage, rotting and damage to interior walls. The corner joints formed using conventional trim boards, which do not interlock, may also be uneven and otherwise unsatisfactory due to poor installation practices.
A need has thus arisen for a corner assembly that provides consistent quality, improved appearance and reliable protection against wind and water leakage while reducing the installation defects, maintenance costs and weather-related degradation associated with the use of conventional building materials and construction techniques.
In accordance with the present invention, a corner assembly for covering a junction between adjacent walls is provided. The corner assembly includes first and second members, and each member is formed from a composite material extruded from a mixture of wood fiber encapsulated in a thermoplastic polymeric matrix consisting primarily of polyethylene resin. The first member includes a tongue extending from one end thereof. The second member includes a groove formed in one side thereof, such that when the tongue is received within the groove, the first side of the first member and the first end of the second member are disposed generally coplanar.